I texted one of our incredible donors at the end of last year, asking him to support our programs as he does every year. I’ll call him Isaac. I told him that I know 2020 has been a treacherous financial year for so many, and gently asked if he could commit to donating $50,000 as he has done in previous years.
Isaac explained that it had been a rough year and he had intended to give $10,000, but since I was asking, he would stretch it and give $25,000. I thanked him profusely for his continued support. Every dollar is appreciated tremendously and allows us to continue offering our vital programs.
A couple of days later Isaac texted me, “I just sent you the money, but instead of sending the $25k, I hit the wrong button and sent you $50k. Hashem works in mysterious ways!”
“OMG, WOW!” I responded. “Hashem will repay you $500k!” And I offered to wire back the unintended $25k.
“You want me to go against Hashem’s wishes?” he fired back. “I didn’t press that button; He did!”
I was blown away and humbled to be the recipient of such charity.
One of the greatest mitzvot is giving charity. We are commanded to split our profits with G-d. “You can keep 90 percent, but please give 10 percent to charity,” He says. And it’s the only mitzvah where G-d tells us, “Test Me. I promise you will not remain in debt. All you need to do is give your share to charity, and I will repay you tenfold.”
A week later, Isaac called me and asked how much I had raised so far in total. I thanked him again for his contribution and explained that donations overall were down 40 percent this year. It’s been a rough financial year for everyone, and we are so grateful for any and all support.
Isaac then explained that after he donated the $50k, he looked up one of his investments and realized he had actually made significantly more money this year than he realized, and was now offering an additional $25k, tripling what he originally intended to give!
The Torah tells us that when a person does business, if he opens his eyes he can actually witness miracles and Divine providence taking place right before him. I believe that this is one of those times, and my fervent wish is that all of us should also witness miracles in our lives!